Today’s media landscape is continuously evolving under the influence of technological advancement, particularly with the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (genAI).
This report, presented today, explores how genAI has already deeply embedded itself within the journalism industry, sparking diverse discussions and covering a wide range of topics – from positive breakthroughs in medicine to concerns about genAI’s potential to generate undetectable disinformation, exacerbating discrimination and societal inequalities.
About the report
The report extensively addresses these concerns as well as the positive aspects of utilizing genAI technology. It also provides context on how news organizations have continued to develop “traditional” artificial intelligence and how they are confronting the new challenges brought by genAI.
Within this second JournalismAI global survey, over 120 editors, journalists, technologists, and media professionals from 105 small and large newsrooms across 46 countries share their insights on the use of artificial intelligence and genAI. The report also delves into questions regarding the quality and sustainability of journalism.
Regardless of your stance on genAI, this report underscores the importance of understanding and engaging with this technology that is currently reshaping the world of journalism. We hope it will help you identify best practices, useful strategies, and pathways to efficiency and innovation in this dynamic media landscape.
Implications of AI on journalism
Professor Charlie Beckett, the leader of the JournalismAI project, highlights that dramatic changes have occurred in the world of media reporting.
As usual, these changes elicit a wide range of reactions, from optimism to pessimism. Many of these reactions have emanated from social media and have also been generated by corporate PR teams and politicians. Reports and expert commentaries have ranged from excitement over positive achievements in fields like medicine to considerably worrisome visions of negative consequences: Generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) generates a vast amount of automated and undetectable disinformation, exacerbating discrimination, extreme statements, and social inequalities.
Regarding the impact on journalism, Beckett notes that much of the reporting has focused on the unreliability of many genAI tools and the controversy surrounding its use of other people’s data to train its algorithms.
Now, as the initial euphoria turns into practical consideration, JournalismAI has engaged with news organizations worldwide to explore how they are dealing with this new wave of technological change. What are they doing with AI and genAI, what are their plans for the future, and what are their hopes and fears regarding its impact on the sustainability and quality of journalism?
Beckett concludes that regardless of one’s perspective on what genAI can achieve, this report clearly emphasizes the importance of understanding and actively engaging with this technology. GenAI will reshape our world, including journalism.
Beckett urges journalists to critically engage with and investigate this technology, which brings opportunities for efficiency and creativity but also presents new challenges. This phase represents a crucial juncture for media organizations worldwide, particularly in light of the current economic, political, and personal pressures on journalists. GenAI won’t solve all these problems and may add new challenges, so responsible and effective journalism has never been more important.
You can download the full report here.
